Corrections Officer Arrested Again on Domestic Violence Charges

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - A corrections officer with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has been arrested for the second time in two months on domestic violence charges.

In an email to Channel 3 Eyewitness News the H.C.S.O. confirmed that Chattanooga Police received a call Wednesday around 10:00 a.m. form a woman needing help at the Lake Resort Terrace Apartments.

The investigation resulted in Hamilton County Corrections Officer Robert L. Johnson, Jr. being charged with Simple Assault Domestic , Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Vandalism Domestic.

Police took him to the Hamilton County Jail where he was booked and received a $15,000 bond by the magistrate. If he cannot make bond, he will be transferred to the Bradley County Jail.

On November 3, Channel 3 Eyewitness News reported that Officer Johnson was involved in a similar alleged Domestic Assault incident with a different woman at Lake Resort Terrace. Chattanooga Police responded to that call as well and charged him with Simple Assault Domestic, Aggravated Assault Domestic and Kidnapping.

Mr. Johnson was released on a $5,000 bond and suspended with pay in early November pending the outcome of those first criminal charges and the Internal Affairs investigation. Sheriff Hammond is waiting for the results of the Internal Affairs investigation today on these last charges to determine any additional sheriff's office response to Officer Johnson at this time.

Johnson's girlfriend told Chattanooga Police in November the two got into a heated argument. We obtained the arrest report from the incident. In that report, Johnson's girlfriend told police the corrections officer punched her in the face, put his hands around her neck and over her mouth. She told police he then bit her on the thigh and the neck.

At that point, she claims he took his gun out of the holster on his hip and held it to her head and told her to "die." She said she was held against her will for several hours before being able to escape. The girlfriend told police Johnson wore the gun holstered on his hip the entire time.

Eyewitness News wanted to know more about the weapon. Johnson is a commissioned officer. Is this his issued weapon? According to an Investigator with the Chattanooga Police Department , the gun was, in fact, issued by the county.

A spokesperson for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says Johnson has been working as a second shift Corrections Officer in the county since October 13, 2008. She was unable to tell us at the time if he had been sanctioned by the department before.

Stay with Channel 3 Eyewitness News and WRCBtv.com for continuing coverage of this developing story. If you have a news tip, you want us to investigate email newstips@wrcbtv.com.